In no particular order, Angela Hunt is a novelist, a nana, teacher, mother, wife, mastiff owner, reader, musician, student, aspiring theologian, apprentice baker, and bubble gum connoisseur. The things that enter her life sooner or later find their way into her books, hence "a life in pages."

Thursday, December 04, 2008

BOM: The Writing

All I remember about the original writing of DREAMERS is that I finished the first draft in ten days. I didn't know as much then as I do now, so I spent a lot less time agonizing over every detail, every word, every plot point. I simply let the story spill out of me.

I think it's a good thing that I was following a pre-determined plot . . . or who knows where I might have ended up.

I write in layers, then and now. I first get the story down as fast as possible, then I go back and fill in the missing pieces. Third draft is for adding "mood music" and sensory details, fourth draft is for polishing and tightening. Fifth draft is for adding depth.

As I think I mentioned earlier, last year I took this previously-written manuscript and went back through it with a fresh eye. I took out THOUSANDS of unnecessary words. I didn't change any of the plot or much of the prose, but I hacked at things like "stood to her feet." (Ha! What else are you going to stand on?) I ended up with about 9,000 words gone, and I'm pretty sure no one will ever notice the difference.

Except me. And maybe some of my writing students. :-)

Anyway, that's the story of the writing. Tomorrow: the editing. (And don't forget to enter the bookbag giveaway contest if you haven't entered already!)

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In no particular order, Angela Hunt is a novelist, teacher, nana, mother, wife, mastiff owner, reader, musician, student, aspiring theologian, photographer, and bubble gum connoisseur. The things that enter her life sooner or later find their way into her books, hence "a life in pages."